The problem of synthesizing adaptive control systems for continuous technological objects is an urgent scientific problem, the solution of which has the great theoretical and applied significance. This article covers the formalization of the problem of synthesizing adaptive control of complex objects based on reference models. The direct approach is connected with the use of a standard, under which the running of the entire system or its part is adjusted. The correction is performed based on minimizing the quality functional from the mismatch between the standard and the real system, as well as the ways of constructing regulators based on the concepts of the theory of direct adaptive systems are considered.